Wall facing



a. G. DAHLBERc-f I WALL FACING Filed June- 17, 1939 Patented Aug. 18,1942 I WALL FACING G. Dahlberg, Chicago, 111., assignor to The CelotexCorporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application June17,1939, Serial No. 279,674

4 Claims.

' ing heavy foundations, or, if applied in remodeling' the added weightis ordinarily not sufiiclent that additional supports are required forwalls to which the wall facing comprising the inven tion may be applied.K

The invention involves particularly the application of brick-likeelements secured to the outer face of a wall structure whereby thevisual appearance is that of a solid brick construction,

but whereas actually the'brick elements are but a fraction of thethickness of ordinary bricks, in

- fact being only about thick or about oneseventh or one-eighth thethickness of an ordi-' nary brick.

The objects of the invention are the provision of a brick simulatingwall'construction which is light in weight, is readily applied either toold or new constructions, is firmly secured to the base structure towhich it is applied and particularly in connection with which thepointing between individual brick units to simulate mortar joints suchis firmly secured and anchored in place; Other and further objects ofthe invention will become apparent on reading the followingspecification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing:

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a small scale elevation illustrating the application of theinvention, a part thereof being shown as finished, the remainder beingillustrated as still 'to be pointed up;

Figure 2 is an enlargedsection of the construction shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the brick unit securing strip;

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of gure 3;

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a modified form of the brickunit securin strip; Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of afurther modified form of the brick unit securing strip and a Figure 8 isa section showing a modified form 16. The recesses l6 extend, withrespect to the of the attachment of the brick unit securing strip to thebase member.

In the drawing the brick units or elements are designated by the numerall0 and the brick unit securing-strips are designated by the numeral I I,the modification of this strip appearing in Figure 6 being designated bynumeral [2 and the modification shown in Figure 'l designated by thenumeral I3. The plastic or pointing applied between the spaced brickunits in order that mortar joints may be simulated is designated by thenumeral l4.

The base on which the facing construction is erected is designated bynumeral I5 and it is to be understoodthat this base may comprise eithera newly constructed base member to which the facing is applied or thatthe base member l5 may be an old construction, as for example, the wallof an already constructed building.

Inapplying the brick simulating facing 0f the invention to a base sucha515, itis preferable that there first be applied over the base orbacking IS a sheet of asphalt saturated felt indicated at It,whichasphalt saturated felt serves as a waterproofing course interposedbetween the base or backing l5 and the applied brick simulating facingunits It.

The next step in the application of the brick simulating facing Hi tothe base or backing I5 is the application to the face of the base 15 andover the waterproof sheets I6 of spaced mounting strips. of generaltrapezoidal form appropriately secured, as for example, by nails 20.

The thin brick units or elements Ill, it will be seen, are providedalong their longitudinal edges with recesses which with respect to theback of such units and a longitudinal edge thereof are respectivelyupwardly and inwardly inclined, these recesses being indicated bynumeral juncture of the back and a longitudinal edge of unit Hi, upwardsand inwardly at an angle of approximately 45 with thespaced walls I1 and18 of the recesses having a slightly inward convergance whereby themolding of such a slot is facilitated. The side walls I! and ll of therecess l6 are preferably joined by an arcuate wall which completes therecess.

It is to be noted that due to the construction of the recess l6 thatthere is formed at the Juneture of the side walls I! of recess I6 andlongitudinal edge of the unit ill, a line juncture IS, the advantage ofwhich will hereinafter become apparent.

' In applyin the unit securing strips l I to the backing or base I 3,they are ordinarily applied horizontally and parallel, spaced on centerssuch that an individual brick unit II will fit snugly between adjacentsecuring strips II.

It will be readily understood that when two properly spaced securingstrips II have been secured'to the base or backing ii that individualbrick units ll may be entered between the such strips at the endsthereof and slid along between this pair of strips II to the finalposition-which the brick unit is to occupy on the finished struc-- ture.It is also to be understood that after one brick unit It has beenentered between a pair of spaced securing strips II that other units Itmay be fed in between this pair of strips to fill the space between thestrips, and that on any wall to which the application is being madeadditional properly spaced strips ll may be applied and brick units lllikewise inserted between such pairs of strips ll until the entiresurface of the wall has been covered. Still further it is to beunderstood that the securing strips ll need not be applied horizontally,but that if desired they may be applied on a slant or verticallyprovided, however, that adjacent pairs of strips l I shall be paralleland the strips shall be uniformly spaced, excepting, that if desiredbrick units ll of different widths may be used in different courses, inwhich case the securing strips il between which the units it are mountedshall be appropriately spaced to receive the brick units II of the widthother than standard. In applying the facing to a base or backing II, thesecuring strips ll may be applied to the entire facing and all of thebrick units ill may be inserted between the strips but if theconstruction proceeds in this manner there must be left in each rowhorizontal sufficiently unfilled space so that adjacent brick units Illmay be spaced approximately so that a uniform pattern of mortar jointsimulation may be applied.

After the brick units l0 have been erected on the face of the base orthe backing I! in accordance with the foregoing, the horizontal andvertical spaces between adjacent brick units It should be appropriatelypointed with a mortar joint simulating material which preferably willcomprise an approved caulking compound, although it is within the scopehereof the open joints between adjacent brick units III may be pointedup with any substance which will satisfactorily simulate the,desiredmortar and also it will be understood that in pointing up the spacesbetween adjacent brick units It these spaces can be completely filled upfiush with the surface of the brick units ll, or these spaces may befilled only partially in depth so that the surface simulated mortarjoint is slightly depressed with respect to the outer faces of the brickunits III.

In order that the caulking compound or mortar joint simulating materialindicated at l4 may be firmly secured in the space between adjacentbrick units ill, particularly with respect to the horizontal joints, itis preferred that the securing strips ll be provided with keyingopenings such as 2|, which keying openings may be of any suitable formfor receiving appropriate keying portions of the pointing substance l4.In Figure 1, certain of the keying openings 2| are indicated ascircular, whereas others are indicated as slots which forms are readilyapparent on viewing the fi ure of the drawing.

The securing strip ll illustrated in Figures 2. 3. 4 and 5 of thedrawing may be formed of wood or any suitable substitute therefor. forexample, this strip may be formed from what is known as fiber insulationboard thoroughly impregnated, either before or after the strip II is cutto form, with some hardening and solidifying substance such as asphalt,a synthetic resin or other equivalent saturant.

Keying openings 2| provided in the securing strips ll may, if circular,be formed by drilling or by punching and particularly if the material ofthe securing strip II can be punched, the shape of the keying opening 2|may be alternatively'triangular or such other shape as may be determinedby the shape by the punch used for punching the openings in the strip.

A very satisfactory keying recess 2| and one which very definitely keysthe pointing substance 14 to the securing strip II is illustrated indetail in Figures 3, 4 and 5 wherein from an inspection of the drawingit is readily apparent that adjacent pairs of keying recesses 2| areinclined one toward the other that a definite wedge keying action isobtained. It will also be seen that these keying recesses 2i have beenformed as by cutting with a small rotary cutter suitably inclined andsunk into the securing strip l I to a depth slightly less half of thediameter of the cutter used.

As an alternate of the wood or other fibrous securing strip II as abovedescribed there may be employed a formed metal securing strip i2 showninFigure 6, which securing strip I2 is formed from a strip of suitablemetal folded with flanges 25 having suitable perforations 28 thereinthrough which nails or other suitable securing means may pass forsecuring strip i 2 to the base or backing IS. The flanges 25 of thestrip l2 are folded outwardly from the formed securing strip which issuitably formed to a substantially trapezoidal section to correspond inform to the wood or fiber securing strip Ii. In this sheet metalsecuring strip l 2 there are in the upper face thereof providedperforations 21, which serve the function of keying the pointingsubstance into the joint spaces between adjacent brick units It in thesame manner that the previously described keying openings 2| in securingstrips ll serve this function A still further modification of thesecuring strip Ii and for many purposes the preferred form thereof, isindicated at l3, Figure 7. This securing strip I3 is formed Of a stripof suitable metal which is folded into substantially trapezoidal formbut with the edge P rtions 30 and ti overlapping as is clearly apparentand in addition the broader face 32 of this sheet metal strip isslightly arched or bowed as is clearly apparent on inspection of Figure7 of the drawing. The edge portions of the strip of metal which isformed into securing strip I 3 are provided with registering andoverlapping slots 32 and 33 whereby a nail 34 entered through a suitablyprovided opening in facing 32 of strip l3 may pass through these slots32 and 33 and serve to secure strip [3 to the base or backing II.

With respect to the securing strip l3 it will be seen that when this isapplied tothe base or backing I I with securing nails 34 driven up justsufficiently to hold the strip against the face of the base I! thatsubsequently after the brick units II have been inserted betweenadjacent pairs of such strips II that then the nails 34 may be drivensomewhat more firmly into'place as with a nail set or the like. This dueto the arch form of the face 32 of the strip l3 as nail ,34

is driven in will tend to flatten out facing 32 to a plane surface witha consequent widening of the overall width of the strip l3 which ispossible because of the slots 32 and 33 in the overlapping portions 30and 3| of strip l3. Expansion of or widening of the strip l3 in themanner just described, it will be readily understood, serves to tightlywedge between adjacent pairs of strips IS the bricks l which have beenpreviously inserted therebetween, that is, the use of anexpansiblesecuring strip l3 provides for adjustment of any slight errormade in spacing of the strips l3 or the application thereof to thebacking member l5.

The expansible securing strip l3 just above described may be provided inits top surface with keying openings similar to or equivalent to thekeying openings at 21 provided in securing strip l3 of Figure 6.

In connection with the above construction, the brick units It! may be ofsubstantially the dimensions of a side face of an ordinary brick and ofa thickness of approximately /2", or if desired, may be of any suitablewidth, length and thickness providing, of course, that such are keptwithin reason, as for example, not so thin that it is impractical toprovidea slot IS in the edges of the bricks l0, nor so thick or ofsuch'width and length dimensions that the weight of the unit isexcessive. While it is contemplated that the construction described willutilize burnt clay brick members III to provide a finish appearancecorresponding to that of a solid brick construction, it will beunderstood that the units l0 may be composed of any suitable materialfrom which these units may be molded or cut and that if the units are tobe exposed the material should be such as will stand exposure, whereas,if the units are not to be exposed materials therefore which wouldotherwise be unsuitable, may be utilized, as for example for interiorwork, the unit Ill may be molded from gypsum.

While, as above stated, a plastic caulking compound suitably colored ispreferred for pointing the joint spaces between adjacent brick unitsIII, as 'for example a readily available plastic and non-hardeningcaulking compound having as the base thereof paint skins, it will bereadily apparent that the jointsv between adjacent units may be pointedup using mortar prepared from sand and lime or sand and cement or othersuitable cementitious substance, such being practical particularly dueto the fact that in the shallow joint over the securing strips II thesuch pointing substance will be keyed into the Joint by the 7 keysprovided in the securing strips II, I! and I3 as has been previouslydescribed in detail.

Whereas, in connection with the above description of the invention ithas been assumed that the base or backing material II is lumber or othermaterial into which nail may be driven and in which nails will hold, theapplication may alternatively be made to a base or backing ll ofmanufactured fiber board readily available under the descriptive name ofcane fiber insulation board. Cane fiber insulation board andgenerallysimilar backing material, the attachment may b made by wirestaple 40 or the equivalent which is forced through the securing strip Hand the fiber insulating backing l5 and which has the terminal portionsII of its legs clinched at the back of the fiber insulating boardbacking l5 for secure attachment of securing strip II to the fiberinsulating board backing l5.

The invention hereof having been disclosed and described in detail, Iclaim:

1. In a wall facing construction having a plurality of facing elements,a mounting strip for afilxing' th facing elements in the wallconstruction, the mounting strip formed of sheet material arranged inthe form of a trapezoid having of its parallel sides, its wider sidebowed outwardly and its narrower side formed by the edges of the sheetmaterial in overlapping relation, and the overlapping portions havingtherein elongated registering slots.

2. As an article of manufacture, a deformable metallic securing stripadapted for securing brick simulating elements ina wall constructioncomprising a plurality of spaced brick simulating elements, each of saidelements having a groove on an edge thereof, and said securing stripformed from sheet material and shaped substantially in the form of atrapezoid having its wider side bowed outwardly and its narrower sideformed by the edges of "the sheet material in overlapping relation, andsaid outwardly side adapted toform a weather seal at the lines ofcontact of the contiguous grooves of the brick simulating units formingcontiguous courses.

3. A wall construction comprising in combination, a backing, elongatedunit mounting and securing strips composed of sheet material shaped tothe form of a trapezoid mounted thereon, the facing units securedthereagainst by the mounting and securing strips, the mounting andsecuring strips being deformable and having a'face thereof comprisingopposite edge portions of said sheet form material formed in overlappingrelationship, said securing strips spacing the individual facing unitsand having keying openings therein, and the spaces between adjacentfacing units having applied "therein a mortar joint simulating substancekeyed to the mounting strips and anchored thereto and bea deformablesecuring strip in the form of a trapezoid having two oppositesubstantially parallel sides and having the two non-parallel sidescomplementally formed with respect to the aforesaid groove and mountedbetween the courses and securing contiguous courses of the elements woodfiber insulation board," while they, wiiilreceive the nails forattaching hey jcuflng strive;

ll do not generally have sumcient-body to satis factorlly retain suchnails and in connection with I the application of a securing strip Ii tosuch a in place in co-action with the contiguous grooves in saidelements, the deformable securing strip being of tubular form sheetmaterial, opposite edge portions of saidsheet overlapping and formin:one of said parallel sides of said abular sestrip me the overlapping prflenrnavmg therein. se-

BROR G. anama.

